CRUEL WORK. 59 



delay. Of course there was fresh cooking for the 

 new arrival, and, terrible to tell, I believe Dillon and 

 self made a second meal. Neither the slaughter of 

 the hippo, nor its flesh, however, laid heavy on our 

 consciences or stomachs, for I do not believe any of 

 us awoke from the time we turned in till the sun was 

 high in the heavens on the succeeding morning. 



Sunday started the boys soon after daylight to 

 cut out the tusks and bring them to camp. To 

 Dillon's joy, on their return they reported having 

 found his missing elephant, in proof of which they 

 brought back its ivory. 



" Disabled, but not dead : " how many horrors 

 do those four words imply to the sportsman ? for I 

 suppose the sportsman to be a gentleman, and a 

 gentleman to be a man of humanity. Moreover, 

 strange and unaccountable as it may appear to some 

 persons, the larger the animal the more barbarous 

 appears the proceeding of taking its life, particularly 

 in performing that part of the butchery that is 

 denominated, administering the coup de grace. It 

 is most culpable, certainly, to permit such morbid 

 feelings to delay you in executing this horrid 

 task, when necessary, even a moment ; for to spare 

 pain to any created animated thing is the sacred 

 duty of all men, and much more of the sect 

 denominating themselves Christians, but I fear 

 they are often the most unfeeling in this respect 

 of any religious body in the world. The above 



